An Open Letter to Austin Johnson...

[the_ouskull]

...where the f*ck have you been? Seriously. That's not a rhetorical question. As a Sooner fan, I demand an answer.

When a player is playing hurt, if that player is a smart player, their shot selection should improve, not regress. The opposite appears to be true for you. (Although you hit them tonight, maybe against a better team you don't... then it's the same old A.J. again...) So, the injury statements should be discounted somewhat...

But something that shouldn't is something that was attributed to you be Ron Franklin on tonight's broadcast, live, from a Cold Day In Hellwater, Oklahoma. He said something to the effect of, "Austin Johnson's been tired of the media saying OU's a one-man team," etc, etc, etc... Bottom line? He was offended, so he decided to step up his game.

Great. Now I'M offended. If you've had this fifth gear you've been playing in lately, and you had it all along, then should we, as Sooner fans, be pissed off at you for not showing it to us sooner? Were you waiting on a team that could go places? Were you playing for draft status? What's the deal, sir?

Inquiring fans want to know...

But, regardless of your answer, please, do not replace the new Austin Johnson with the old one... ever... You might be playing your way into an overseas contract even as we speak.

the_ouskull

[oumartin]

It took 3 years for him to shake off the one year under. Well you know

[Partial Qualifier]

or.. he simply had to grow up a little bit, mentally & physically. Why make it complicated?

[King Crimson]

he should have red-shirted his FR year. he was hurt and not physically ready for D-1 ball but we/Kelvin needed someone to dribble the ball up the floor.

i don't know the answer. but, he's been pretty good so far this year and a lot of last year. works for me.

[MojoRisen]

Confidence! it also seems like his shot has more arch.

[badger]

Dear Austin Johnson,

SHEWT MOAR TREES!


(I can't believe I found that online???)

Dear Austin,
YER NEXT WHORNS!


Dear Auston,
You are awesome and an integral part of the OU defense.

[ouleaf]

While I am happy for the season AJ is having, I must say I saw some disturbing trends last night with AJs game. 1) Shooting 3's are fine, but not when most of them are taken from a good 6 feet back from the 3pt line. 2) The lazy over the shoulder lob, cross court passes have to stop. They will lead to trouble down the road if you continue to do them. 3) He doesn't have as good of a first step as I originally though he did. Capel needs to start calling some screens to help you drive and dish to a big or a wing-man. 4) I worry about him being defended by bigger guards. He has trouble creating on the dribble when he can't get by someone and results in him taking ridiculous 3's.

[Curly Bill]

While I am happy for the season AJ is having, I must say I saw some disturbing trends last night with AJs game. 1) Shooting 3's are fine, but not when most of them are taken from a good 6 feet back from the 3pt line. 2) The lazy over the shoulder lob, cross court passes have to stop. They will lead to trouble down the road if you continue to do them. 3) He doesn't have as good of a first step as I originally though he did. Capel needs to start calling some screens to help you drive and dish to a big or a wing-man. 4) I worry about him being defended by bigger guards. He has trouble creating on the dribble when he can't get by someone and results in him taking ridiculous 3's.

If he can make 5-8 every night who cares if he shoots them from the parking lot?

[Sooner04]

The lazy over the shoulder lob, cross court passes have to stop. They will lead to trouble down the road if you continue to do them.

I think those passes had more to do with how we were attacking O-State's press than anything else. I don't think I've seen a single one from him other than during last night's game.

I thought for sure O-State would sneak somebody up on one of those and pick it off before it made it to Blake, but they never did.

[ouleaf]

If he can make 5-8 every night who cares if he shoots them from the parking lot?

That's a pretty big IF you are trusting in. I'll admit his outside shooting has improved, but come on. We can get better shots than that. I remember one he shot from waaaay out with about 15 seconds left pretty late in the game. I guess I'm just a fan of the high percentage shot though.

[the_ouskull]

...and A.J. from closer to the half court line than the three-point line is never a "high-percentage shot."

the_ouskull

[stoopified]

He is playing well now,why sweat the past?

[Overtime]

If he can make 5-8 every night who cares if he shoots them from the parking lot?

1 of 2 ain't bad either, as long as Willie keeps having the kind of game he did today...

[the_ouskull]

He is playing well now,why sweat the past?

Oh, I totally agree with you... 100%. But, at the same time, every time I see him throw some lazy left-handed skip pass, or see him pick up his dribble five feet outside of the 3pt line, I still panic. It would be foolish of me not to. Until he doesn't do those things, on each play, I'm going to fear his doing those things...

the_ouskull

[TopDawg]

I think those passes had more to do with how we were attacking O-State's press than anything else. I don't think I've seen a single one from him other than during last night's game.

Exactly.

I thought for sure O-State would sneak somebody up on one of those and pick it off before it made it to Blake, but they never did.

Me too. Although sending someone out to mid-court to try to out-jump Blake is probably only going to lead to an easy basket on our end. I don't think there are very many teams that have a player who COULD pick it off before it made it to Blake.